Recently, Order TED/739/2025 has been published, which updates and expands the regulatory framework for Collaborating Bodies of the Hydraulic Administration (ECAH) concerning the use and protection of waters belonging to the public hydraulic domain in Spain, marking a significant step towards more efficient and sustainable water management in Spain. By expanding the ECAH’s responsibilities and establishing more detailed and rigorous accreditation requirements, the aim is to ensure greater quality and reliability in exploitation activities and protecting the Public Hydraulic Domain.

The Order establishes a series of administrative and technical requirements that testing laboratories and inspection bodies must meet if they wish to obtain and maintain the ECAH title, among those highlighted is having accreditation issued by a national accreditation body belonging to a member State of the European Union, in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 765/2008.

This accreditation will serve as proof of compliance with the relevant standards according to the required activities. Specifically, testing laboratories wishing to obtain the ECAH title must have accreditation according to the requirements of the UNE-EN ISO/IEC 17025 standard to carry out sampling, chemical, biological, and hydro-morphological tests requested by the hydraulic administration.  Similarly, in the case of inspection bodies, they must be accredited according to the requirements of the UNE-EN ISO/IEC 17020 standard to carry out discharge control and using reclaimed water, the compliance assessment with water quality objectives, the monitoring of hydrogeology and groundwater contamination, and inspecting volumetric control systems in water intakes and returns.

Currently, ENAC is in a position to respond to accreditation requests arising from Order TED/739/2025 on water management and protection. For further information, contact Belén Villamiel from ENAC's Environment department via email. abvillamiel@enac.es.